[TenTec] Help me Decide ??

[Duane Calvin]

How about an answer from the other side.  I work with computers all day
long, and am very comfortable with them.  I also run digital modes, and
enjoy CW.  I prefer a radio with knobs because there are just some things
that are a lot faster without having to deal with a mouse or a keyboard.
Some day I'll try a computer-operated radio (I've done a little), but give
me a well-designed hardware interface any day.  Doing it by computer (to me)
is like driving a racing car in a computer game vs. driving a real racing
car.  Fun, but little feel/feedback compared to the real thing.  I'm not
disparaging software interfaces, they're just not for me. And I like
computers and digital modes! 

	73, Duane

Duane Calvin, AC5AA
Austin, Texas
www.ac5aa.com  
 

-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]
On Behalf Of RaySoifer at cs.com
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 7:33 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Help me Decide ??

Hi all,

I have a hypothesis I'd like to check out through this reflector: most of
the people I know or whose posts I've read who like the Flex 5000 are (a)
comfortable with computer programming and/or (b) are primarily phone or
digital ops, not CW.

I suppose that makes two hypotheses, not one, but I'd still be interested to
know if they are right or wrong.

73,

Ray W2RS




Ken Brown <ken.d.brown at hawaiiantel.net> wrote:

>
>>   RF
>> getting into equipment running 500 to 1.5KW is a problem with any
>> radio. 
>Seldom a problem with tube radios, especially operating CW. Does that 
>mean I'd stick to tube technology? No.
>>  Any one who says
>> they don't have problems when running high power are eather lieing, lucky
or extreamly smart.
>I may be lucky, or I just take the proper steps to avoid RF problems. 
>I'm sort of smart, but I don't think it takes a genius to keep RF out of 
>places it will cause trouble. Again, even with solid state radios, 
>running mostly CW, RF problems are fewer than when using an audio input 
>on the rig.
>>   Its all
>> about how you feel about the radio, front pannel lay out ease of use,
>> how intuitive it is to operate, good filters and ability to receive
>> those very week signals.
>Having a front panel with controls is really nice, if you like that. 
>Some people like to click a rodent. Cheaper to leave that stuff out and 
>have a computer do the radio/human interfacing. That is not they way I 
>want to operate though. The Omni VI works as soon as I flip the switch. 
>Don't need to wait for anything to boot. At least not a perceptible 
>amount of time. I don't know about the Onions, maybe they're ready to go 
>right away too, and as long as you don't get them in a knot, they work. 
>Omni VI virtually never gets in a knot requiring a power cycle. To be 
>honest, it has happened once or twice in the five or more years I've 
>owned one.
>
>DE N6KB
>
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